California State University Northridge Athletics
Thursday, April 9
Irvine, Calif.
6:00 PM
California State University at Northridge
12-11,0-7Big West
1
at
3
UC Irvine
16-5,4-3Big West
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSUN | 17 | 25 | 25 | 19 | 1 |
| UC Irvine | 25 | 23 | 27 | 25 | 3 |
Photo by: Steve Fitzgerald
CSUN Drops Front End of Home-and-Home Series With No. 6 UC Irvine
4/9/2026 8:25:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
IRVINE, Calif. — Jalen Phillips and Noah Douphner combined for 25 of CSUN's 49 kills but the 18th-ranked Matadors fell in four sets to No. 6 UC Irvine in a Big West match on Thursday night at the Bren Events Center.
The Matadors (12-11, 0-7 Big West) dropped the match 25-17, 23-25, 27-25, 25-19, despite a balanced offensive effort and a strong response after a lopsided opening set.
CSUN rebounded in the second set, hitting .400 with just three errors to even the match at one set apiece. Phillips had five kills in the set, while Jordan Lucas provided a spark off the bench with four kills on four swings to hit 1.000.
The third set proved decisive. CSUN battled through 13 ties and had two swings at the set, but UC Irvine closed the frame on a 3-0 run to take a 27-25 win and regain control of the match. A Phillips kill gave the Matadors their first set point at 24-23, but a CSUN service error erased the advantage. Owen Douphner's kill gave the Matadors another opportunity at 25-24, but a UCI kill sent the hosts on a set-clinching three-point run.
UC Irvine (16-5, 4-3) carried that momentum into the fourth, claiming seven of the first 10 points of the set. The Anteaters, who hit .407 in the final set, would lead by as many as seven (16-9), and the Matadors would only close to within five points the remainder of the set.
Phillips led CSUN with 15 kills on 39 swings (.205), while Douphner added 10 kills on 25 attacks (.120). Lucas added eight kills (.636) and seven digs in three sets, while Owen Douphner had a solid all-around match with 33 assists, along with a career-high seven kills (.700), and five blocks.
As a team, CSUN hit .259 and totaled 49 kills, but was outpaced by UC Irvine's .387 hitting and 59 kills. The Anteaters were led by Andrej Jokanovic's match-high 23 kills on .463 hitting.
Defensively, the Matadors held a slight edge in digs (38-32) behind libero Joao Avila's team-high 11, but were unable to consistently slow UC Irvine's high-powered offense.
UP NEXT
The same two teams will complete the home-and-home series on Saturday in Northridge. First serve at Premier America Credit Union Arena is scheduled for 6 p.m. CSUN will honor seniors Niall Finnegan, Braden Pool-Harris, Jordan Lucas, and Shane Nhem in a pregame ceremony.
#GoMatadors
The Matadors (12-11, 0-7 Big West) dropped the match 25-17, 23-25, 27-25, 25-19, despite a balanced offensive effort and a strong response after a lopsided opening set.
CSUN rebounded in the second set, hitting .400 with just three errors to even the match at one set apiece. Phillips had five kills in the set, while Jordan Lucas provided a spark off the bench with four kills on four swings to hit 1.000.
The third set proved decisive. CSUN battled through 13 ties and had two swings at the set, but UC Irvine closed the frame on a 3-0 run to take a 27-25 win and regain control of the match. A Phillips kill gave the Matadors their first set point at 24-23, but a CSUN service error erased the advantage. Owen Douphner's kill gave the Matadors another opportunity at 25-24, but a UCI kill sent the hosts on a set-clinching three-point run.
UC Irvine (16-5, 4-3) carried that momentum into the fourth, claiming seven of the first 10 points of the set. The Anteaters, who hit .407 in the final set, would lead by as many as seven (16-9), and the Matadors would only close to within five points the remainder of the set.
Phillips led CSUN with 15 kills on 39 swings (.205), while Douphner added 10 kills on 25 attacks (.120). Lucas added eight kills (.636) and seven digs in three sets, while Owen Douphner had a solid all-around match with 33 assists, along with a career-high seven kills (.700), and five blocks.
As a team, CSUN hit .259 and totaled 49 kills, but was outpaced by UC Irvine's .387 hitting and 59 kills. The Anteaters were led by Andrej Jokanovic's match-high 23 kills on .463 hitting.
Defensively, the Matadors held a slight edge in digs (38-32) behind libero Joao Avila's team-high 11, but were unable to consistently slow UC Irvine's high-powered offense.
UP NEXT
The same two teams will complete the home-and-home series on Saturday in Northridge. First serve at Premier America Credit Union Arena is scheduled for 6 p.m. CSUN will honor seniors Niall Finnegan, Braden Pool-Harris, Jordan Lucas, and Shane Nhem in a pregame ceremony.
#GoMatadors
Team Stats
CSUN
Irvine
Kills
49
59
Errors
21
11
Attempts
108
124
Hitting %
.259
.387
Points
60.0
73.0
Assists
47
56
Aces
3
5
Blocks
8
9
Game Leaders
Kills
15
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
8
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Men's VolleyballOH
/ Men's Volleyball
S
/ Men's Volleyball
MB
/ Men's VolleyballOH
/ Men's Volleyball
OPP
/ Men's Volleyball
OPP
/ Men's Volleyball
L
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